By Dr. Alex Avila

Would you like to be rich—financially, emotionally, and spiritually? When you are truly rich, in every sense of the word, you are able to help yourself, your loves ones, and society itself. You can express your true nature and live to the fullest. Yet, the term “riches” or “money” has negative connotations for some people. Some think rich people are greedy, arrogant, or unhappy (not true, wealthy businesspeople are surprisingly well-adjusted). Or they think that they can never enjoy financial security because of a limitation they have (often, it’s their poverty thinking). Here’s the good news: By studying the mindset of happy wealthy people, you can learn some of their secrets for enjoying both financial success and psychological health (love and joy). Money, used rightly, can do many good things for yourself and others. Here are some wealth mentality tips you can apply to your life:

1.Determine your Rich Type.

There are different personality types among the rich and wealthy. Maybe you’re a “Thrillionaire”—if you were rich, you would use your money to enjoy the pleasures of life and show off your wealth—travel, enjoy fine dining and entertainment, buy fancy cars, mammoth homes, and expensive items. Or you could be the “Coolionaire”—you want your money to express your artistic tastes and desire for the beautiful—you would decorate your gorgeous house in a most elegant way, including the most prestigious art you can buy. Another possibility: You are the “Realionaire”—you are the realistic, down-to earth rich person (think Warren Buffet) who invests in big things, but is also practical and savings conscious. Your wealth reflects your low key and relaxed nature. Finally, you could be the Wellionaire—someone who uses your money to feel good and do good—contributing to charitable and philanthropic causes to leave the world a better place (consider Bill and Melinda gates and their humanitarian work).

2. Create a prosperity mental script.

Many people grow up with a scarcity or poverty mentality, parroting statements and beliefs they heard growing up: “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” “Too much work, too little money.” Over time, these negativistic, poverty mentality phrases become embedded in your mind, and as an adult, you feel insecure or frustrated about money—you worry that you will never have enough. Yet, there is a better way to think: The Prosperity Mentality—believing that there is an abundance of money and resources in the world—and that you can access the money you need to accomplish your goals and dreams. Start by substituting poverty mental phrases for prosperity thoughts. You can write the new thoughts in a journal, tablet, or computer, or you can put them on your bathroom wall or somewhere you will see them daily. Instead of “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” you will write, “Money grows abundantly from my ability to create good things for others.” Instead of “Too much work, too little money,” you will write, “A lot of love and joy from my work leads to an abundance of money.” As you ingrain these new prosperity thoughts into your mind, you will see that your financial and money endeavors will flourish and you will be more prosperous than ever before.

3. Think of Money as Loving Energy.

In my book, “Invincible You,” I talk about a new way to look at money: as Loving Energy, or Loving Money Energy (LME). When you do something you love for work, you receive money—paper or electronic—as an appreciation (love) of the value of the work you provided. Then, you take that money and you send it to someone else for goods or services—as you spread your gratitude and love for what you are receiving. Seen in this way, money is a form of loving energy that flows and passes from person to person, society to society, to provide goodness and satisfaction to those it touches. Instead of thinking that you have to compete and fight for money, and fearing that you may lose it or not have enough, you realize that loving money energy has no limits and will keep circulating as long as you can utilize your talents for the good of others. For example, when you have a transaction with a merchant or storekeeper, consider that you are creating bonds of cheery affinity with that businessperson. With this mindset, you don’t always have to fight to get the lowest possible price; you may even overpay a little at times—as you realize that you are expressing love to this person by helping them with their finances. Maybe they’re putting a child through college or taking care of their frail elderly parent. Although you want to get your money’s worth, and not be taken advantage of, this way of thinking actually will help you financially in the long-run. The merchant you gave a little extra money to may reciprocate by giving you a great deal on your next transaction. Or others who learn about your generosity will want to do business with you because they see that you are a fair-minded and empathetic person.

Yes, you can be rich—both in the material and spiritual sense. As a creation of the Higher Nature (God, spirit, nature), you are already rich—by virtue of being born into this world and being alive. Every day, remind yourself of the things you are grateful for—your life, family, friends, pets, talents, career, hobbies, experiences, and the world itself. When you do this, you will feel rich internally and you will project that wealth mentality outwardly—as you attract true financial and monetary riches. You will also attract the greatest wealth of all: Love.

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Author's Bio: 

Dr. Alex Avila is a bilingual (Spanish-speaking) licensed clinical psychologist (PSY 25935). He holds various graduate degrees, including a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. A respected educator, researcher, and author, Dr. Avila is also a popular media personality.

He has been the relationship columnist for Today’s Black Woman and is the psychology contributor for Real Health magazine. His work has been featured on numerous media outlets, including CNN en Español, The Other Half (NBC), Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, ABC and CBS news, Telemundo, Univision, The Los Angeles Times, La Opinion, Glamour, KFI, KRLA, Radio Exitos 93.9, and Latina magazine, among others.